Chapter Five Flashcards
Reference Groups
A group that helps us understand or make sense of our position in society relative to other groups
Social Network
A set of relations – essentially, a set of dyads – held together by ties between individuals
Tie
The connection between two people in a relationship that varies in strength from one relationship to the next
Narrative
The sum of stories contained in a set of ties
Embeddedness
The degree to which social relationships are reinforced through indirect ties
Strength of Weak Ties
The notion that relatively weak ties often turn out to be quite valuable because they yield new information
Structural Hole
A gap between network clusters, or even two individuals, if those individuals (or clusters) have complementary resources
“Elastic Ties”
Social connections that display the repeated interactions characteristic of strong ties while maintaining a degree of protective social distance
Social Capital
The information, knowledge of people, and connections that help individuals enter, gain power in, or otherwise leverage social networks
Organization
Any social network that is defined by a common purpose and has a boundary between its membership and the rest of the social world
Isomorphism
A containing process that forces one unit in a population to resemble other units that face the same set of environmental conditions
Dyad
A group of two
Triad
A group of three
Mediator
The member of the triad who attempts to resolve conflict between other two members
Tertius Gaudens
The member of the triad who benefits from conflict between other two members
Divide et Impera
The role of a member of a triad who intentionally drives a wedge between the other two members
Small Group
Characterized by face-to-face interaction, a unifocal perspective, lack of formal arrangements or roles, and certain level of equality
Large Group
A group characterized by the presence of a formal structure that mediates interaction and, consequently, status differentiation
Parties
A group that is similar to a small group but is multifocal
Primary Group
Social groups, such as family or friends, composed of enduring, intimate face-to-face relationships that strongly influence the attitudes and ideals of those involved
Secondary Group
Groups marked by impersonal, instrumental relationships (existing as a means to an end)
In-group
Another term for the powerful group, most often the majority
Out-group
Another term for the stigmatized or less powerful group, the minority
Organization Culture
the shared beliefs and behaviors within a social group; often used interchangeably with corporate culture
Structure
The ways in which power and authority are distributed within an organization
